House of Commons Hansard #209 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was protection.
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Madam Speaker, the new Liberal tax hikes on local businesses are set to make life very hard for farm families, young entrepreneurs, and local business operators.
Why did the Minister of Finance design a system in which farmers and local businesses in my riding will pay significantly higher taxes, while the family fortunes of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will not be touched?
How is this fair for hardworking Canadians and their families?
Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Madam Speaker, I would like to once again remind members that, as long as the money stays in a business to be invested in that business's growth and innovation, there will be no change. We will continue to offer the lowest tax rate for SMEs in the G7 because we know that it gives them a competitive advantage. We support our SMEs.
The only problem is that the existing system is unfair and encourages wealthy Canadians—and I am not talking about the middle class here—to incorporate so they pay a lower tax rate than most Canadians. We think we can do better and make our tax system fairer.
Erin Weir NDP Regina—Lewvan, SK
Madam Speaker, the new Minister of Public Services and Procurement has yet to agree to appear before the government operations committee.
As vice-chair of that committee, I am wondering when the government will respond to the all-party report we tabled more than nine months ago, calling on Canada Post to restore door-to-door mail delivery, or should Canadians instead write “return to sender” on the Liberal platform as broken promises pile up faster than junk mail around a community mailbox?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Madam Speaker, our government has delivered on its promise and its commitment to suspend the implementation of community mailboxes and to undertake a comprehensive review of Canada Post. The member knows that very well, because he participated in that very review undertaken by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, accompanied by a special task force. We have their reports. We have all of the evidence.
The government is considering the future of this treasured national institution that is Canada Post and its employees. We will report to the House this year.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Madam Speaker, it takes so long for the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with files, that families in my riding are losing up to six or seven months of benefits before receiving anything. That is completely unacceptable. These families are already struggling to make ends meet, and the CRA is making things worse for them. Perhaps the Liberals should wake up before we have another catastrophe like Phoenix on our hands. The federal government has been boasting about so-called investments in the CRA.
Will the government hire more staff to meet the needs of families and individuals who are struggling to earn a decent living?
Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Madam Speaker, the CRA provides quality services to Canadians. It is unacceptable that some Canadians are not receiving their credits and benefits within a reasonable period of time.
Many vulnerable Canadians depend on these credits and benefits to get by, and we will redouble our efforts to make them more accessible. I would like to remind Canadians of how important it is to file their income tax return in order to receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to.
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Madam Speaker, Andrew and his wife risked everything to open a small coffee shop in Vernon. They built a life plan based on Canadian tax laws. Now the Liberal government is threatening to tear up their life plan, changing the law, and killing their initiative to be independent.
Why has the Minister of Finance designed a system in which Andrew and his wife will pay significantly higher taxes, while the family business fortunes of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will not be touched? How is that fair?
Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Madam Speaker, parts of our current tax system are unfair because they encourage the wealthiest Canadians to incorporate so they can access tax benefits that the middle class cannot.
We think we can do better. We think it is not fair when a professional who earns $300,000 per year can incorporate and save the equivalent of an average person's income in taxes every year. That is what we want to fix. We stand behind our small businesses and our middle-class business people, and we always will.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Madam Speaker, how is it fair that a billionaire finance minister and a millionaire Prime Minister's trust funds and fortunes will be protected under these current changes? That is not fair.
Ranching and forestry are economic drivers of communities throughout British Columbia. Evan, a rancher in my riding, stood beside his family and neighbours and courageously fought back the fires. They saved properties and lives. He said to me recently, “With the devastating fire season we have just come through and all we're dealing with, and now the tax changes that are being proposed by this government, our ranchers don't stand a chance.”
When will the finance minister abandon these tax changes and start standing up for foresters and ranchers?
Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Madam Speaker, we were elected because we made a very clear promise to the middle class and our small and medium-sized businesses. That is why we are keeping the small business tax rate below that of all other G7 countries, which encourages them to invest in growth and innovation.
We are not going after middle-class business people. We are going after some of the wealthiest Canadians who can use tax breaks in the current system that the vast majority of Canadians do not have access to. That is what we want to fix. We are holding consultations because we want to make sure we are doing things properly so there will be no unintended consequences.
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Madam Speaker, I recently asked how the Liberal government's proposed tax changes would affect farmers using AgriInvest, and it was obvious from the parliamentary secretary's answer that he has no idea how AgriInvest works. AgriInvest is a self-help tool that allows and encourages farmers to put money away for a rainy day. In essence, it is a way for farmers to get their income from the marketplace and not from their mailboxes.
Now the finance minister wants to triple the tax on something that the agriculture minister has urged farmers to do. How the heck is that fair?
Jean-Claude Poissant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Madam Speaker, federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture ministers reached an agreement on the main elements of the strategic framework. The Canadian Agricultural Partnership will be in place on April 1, 2018.
It will support and strengthen Canada's agriculture and food processing sector through innovation and give it a competitive edge globally. The partnership will invest $3 billion over five years in science, research and innovation, trade, the environment, and value-added industries.
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Madam Speaker, in the new national defence policy, the government recognizes that when it comes to the military, our service members are our number one resource. Last year, however, the Auditor General indicated that our armed forces were massively understaffed, and that the problem was going to get worse, not better.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence tell the House about the efforts being made to reverse this trend and ensure that we can increase the regular force and the reserves, not only in Quebec but across the country?
Jean Rioux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Madam Speaker, Canadians will have an opportunity tomorrow to see all the hard work our reserve forces do in Canada and internationally. On Saturday, September 30, all units of the Canadian army reserve will open their doors to Canadians. This initiative is part of the army's efforts to recruit new regular and reserve personnel.
This is a unique opportunity to meet soldiers in their working environment and learn more about the important contribution they make.
I invite all my colleagues to support this event to ensure the success of this open house all across the country.
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK
Madam Speaker, we have just learned that a government employee from CRA has been suspended for six days for taking home over 1,000 files. Canadians need to know whether their personal information has been compromised.
Can the minister please inform this House what information the government may have about the theft of these sensitive files?
Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Madam Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that confidentiality is the Canada Revenue Agency's top priority.
I am not aware of the situation the member is referring to, but my hon. colleagues can rest assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the confidentiality of information at the Canada Revenue Agency.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Madam Speaker, the dream of home ownership seems to be moving further and further away from middle-class Canadians in my riding of Scarborough—Guildwood. While many of my constituents try to save for what will likely be the biggest investment in their lives, we continue to see stories of rampant speculation by certain individuals who cheat the system.
Would the Minister of National Revenue update the House and all Canadians on the progress made to crack down on those who do not comply with real estate tax laws?
Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Madam Speaker, our government recognizes the importance of a fair housing market for all Canadians. We have increased the agency real estate audits in the Vancouver and Toronto markets. These audits found over $275 million in unreported income. We have applied over $20 million in penalties through these audits.
Let me be clear that tax evaders can no longer hide.
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety is closing down the Canada Border Services Agency office in my riding of Oshawa. Oshawa is investing millions of dollars in its runway infrastructure to make our community more competitive, while the Liberals continue to introduce policies that do the exact opposite.
There was no consultation on this Liberal decision until after the fact. Local governments have been trying to reach out to the minister, but have received absolutely no word as to why the CBSA office is being shut down in my riding.
Would the minister explain why he has decided to negatively impact Oshawa's growth as a transportation hub and kill local jobs and future opportunities?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Madam Speaker, of course, our officials did talk with the City of Oshawa and the mayor, and made it very clear that services were going to be improving, that in fact there were going to be more Canada Border Services agents available to process goods and services and passengers. I am pleased to say that for Durham Region and Oshawa this is a material improvement and it is good news.
Simon Marcil Bloc Mirabel, QC
Madam Speaker, the government will not let up on former Aveos workers. The government caused them to lose their jobs in 2012 by refusing to enforce the Air Canada Act. It even changed the legislation last year to ensure that these people would not get their jobs back.
Now the government is going after them for EI benefits they received five years ago as a result of the government's own mistake.
Will the government stop harassing the 400 former Aveos workers and forgive them their EI debt?
Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.
I know that some former Aveos employees are in a tough situation.
My department and the Canada Revenue Agency are working together to offer flexibility and options to ensure people are treated fairly and respectfully as we move to correct the situation and address individual cases as they appear.
Simon Marcil Bloc Mirabel, QC
Madam Speaker, that is nonsense.
The file has been on the minister's desk for four months. This week, from the comfort of his limousine, he sent collection agents to harass Aveos workers.
The thing is that he is not short on cash because the employment insurance fund had a $1.4 billion surplus last year, and as hon. members will recall, the government does not put a single penny into that fund.
Out of a $1.4 billion surplus the government cannot find $4 million to right a wrong that it committed.
When will the government settle this and do right by the former Aveos workers? It is time for action.
Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families
Madam Speaker, I know that some former Aveos employees are in a tough situation.
We recognize this is a very significant issue and we are working very hard to address it. However, in this situation, according to EI regulations, the Employment Insurance Commission of Canada has the authority to write off these overpayments, and it does so on a case-by-case basis. We are working hard to address this and have worked with officials in that jurisdiction to make sure we address them as quickly as possible and as fairly as possible.
Simon Marcil Bloc Mirabel, QC
Madam Speaker, everyone keeps passing the buck on this issue.
It took four months to change the law and make sure that former Aveos workers would not get their jobs back. It would seem, however, that letting up on them will take a bit more doing.
I have here an email from the office of the Prime Minister, the same Prime Minister who was protesting alongside Aveos workers with a megaphone five years ago.
What does the Prime Minister tell former Aveos workers? He tells them it is the minister's job and the minister is supposed to take care of it.
The minister is the one who should lose his job. When will he forgive this debt?